The People not the Original of Civil? ower\
PROVED FROM
G O Us Word, the Doarinel
and Liturgy of the EftahU/h'd Church]
and from the Laws of ENGLAND.
SERMON
Preach'd at thePariih-Church of
St. Et HE L B U R GA,\
On Jharfdaj/y Jan. 30. 1 7O7.
Being a Day of Solemn Fading and Humiliation, ap-[
pointed by Law, for the Execrable Murder off
K.CHARLESthe Firft, of bleffed Memory.
cijejriftftetimom
By LVXE MILBOVRtJE, a/'mVfrofthe
Church < E N G L A N D.
In the laft Days fsrilow Times Jhall come : For MenjhaU he Proud,
Blaffhemers, Falfe Accufers, Fierce, Defpfers of thofe that are]
Good i Traitors, Heady, Highr-minded, Sec. \
Evil Men and Seducers /hall wax worfe and worfi. Deceiving, and]
being Deceived, i Tim. 3. i , 2, 3, 4, 1 3.
And they font forth Sfics, who Jhould feign themfehes jufl Men, that ]
they might lay hold of his Words, hvkeio.zo. '
London^ Printed for George Sawbridge, in
Little Britain. 177'-. Trice id.
Biihop of Salishry at St. Pauh, ■
December 31ft, i qo6.
THE RE u^ Mercy that is Cruelj not only to the
rejl of Mankind^ lut even to thofe who are the
Ohjeils of it ; and a Jufl Severity may be a Blef
, Jing^ not only to the refi of the Worlds hut even to thofe t
% on whom it falls heaviefi : It may irini^ them to fuch %
fl Reflexions on themfelveSj as may render them capable ■
of that Mercy which they dofo much need ; it may put ■
them out of a Capacity of encreafing their Guilty or of^i
enh^uneing their Puntfhment^ which mufl come on them \
heavily fomewhere^ Here or Hereafter.
f If.
^.
T>R» Sacheverel's Prayers and Meditations on riie Days of his
"*"^^ Tryal, begun Fehr. 27, 1709—10. l^rice i d»
Melius Inquirendum ; or, A freih Inquiry into St. P^w/'s Beha-
viour towards the Civil Magiftrare, (^c. Price 2 d. The Mea-;
lures of Refiftance to the Higher Powers, fo far as becomes z
Chriftian, S'c. The 3d Edition. Price 6 d. Both preached at.
St. Ethelhurga, by Lul^e Milhourne, a Presbyter of the Church of
Evglahd J and ibkl bv Geo, Sawhridgc^ in Link Briuin.
ROMANS XIII. I. C. ultimo,
for there is no Tower but ofGOD: The Powers that he^
are Ordain d of GOD.
IN which Words the Apofile afferts^as plainly asWords can exprefs
it. That the Original of all Tower ^ whether Civil or Ecclefiaftiffal, if
fiom Gody and from God only. Our Modern Politicians and A^
theifls^ who never bring God into their Difcourfes but to Blaf-
phemeHim; nor God*s Church into their Arguments, but to Ruin
it, affert in direft Oppofition to the Apoftle; ThU the Original of all
Tower iifi'om the Teople ; upon this Doftrine are Founded Seditions,
Infurrerfions, Rebellions, Treafons: And on this, particularly, was
founded the Barbarous Murder of One of the Beft of Princes, and of
Men, which We, this Daj^ by the Command of Authority, jiiftly De-
plore. Whether it be more reafonable to give Credit to an Jnfpir^d
Apojile^ or to every Atheiflical Ta^^phleteer^ let*iyfober Chriftian
judge^ -
If we enquire into the Charafl-ers of the Promoters and Defenders
ofthisNotion,That theOriginalofallToweris intheTeopletwc fhall find
,that they are generally Men of no Religion, no Principles,no Honour,
^ ^no Honefty. Such Church-Men as have maintained it, have been the
-^ •^greatTrumpeters of Rebellion,and capital Incendiaries in theNations
where they Live ; ambitious of Popularity and Preferment, Profti-
tuting their very Souls to Hell, if, at that Price, they may but raifvi
themfelves to the Power of doing Milchief to the Church on Earth.
They poifon the Souls of their Hearers as defperately with their Falfe
Vofhrines and Scandalous Trafticesj as the worft fort of ^acks do the
Bodies of their Patients. They aint rather at the Glory of Heroftra^
tm than of Solomon \ and broach Notions only fit to blow up the Mul-
titude into Rebellion, that they may have the better Opportunity to
3 -Avarm their own Fingers at the Fire, • They Laugh at that Religion
' ;which they Preach, and look upon the whole Doftrine of the Gofpel
^ \^s a pretty Fable ; by Difcourfingon which they may get a Com pe-
"^ * tentLivelihood; and as for their future Account, they feldom think of it.
Take thefe Men from among the Laiety^ and you'll find thtm com^
;nonly Perfons of theLewdeft, and moft Profligate Lives in the World,
Schifmaticks^Heretich, Tapifis^ Fornicators^ Ad uUerers^ I{ebeh^ J^nej^adoes
^ to theReligion they were brought up in, and that, n9t by vertue of an^
;5 ' Conviftions they have had,but on a very Prudent and Chriftian Refo-
lution, to be always of the Prince's I(eligion^ while He fits fure, and has
all Preferments in his own Hands: And to be of the ]{rll(^ion ofth^ Peo-
ple^he it what it will, when they,hy the Management 6f Crafty Rebels,
i'eem likely to prevail againft their Sovereigns : Like the Camelion they
'*^ take their Colour from the neareft Objefl-, ridicnlmg all i(f//;^ /(?//, as
rt:;:^' cnlv a Politick Invention to keep Fools in Awe. But talking mightily
o*" E^Ugion and Confciemc^ too^ when they heartily willi there were no
A 2 fuclj^
A SERMON Preached on
fueh things in the World. In fhort, they are the Scum and Off-fcouring
of the World ; the perpetual Plagues of the Places they Live in ; the
irreconcilable Enemies of Tiety and Teace\ never more dangerous, than
when they have Goi and J^U^ion in their Mouths ; never more Trea-
cherous or Malicious Adverfaries to Government, than when they
Fl.atter their Superiors in fulfome Terms \ and pretend to fecure their
Honour, by depriving them of their Divine and Birth's Flighty and ma-
king them the Creatures of the People. Som^e few well-meaning Igno-
I ant Wretches, who underftand nothing of an Argument, who are not
able to diftinguifh between the groffeft Sophiftry, and the cleareft De-
monftration, between true Uniform Religion, and palpable Bafenefs
^^nd Hypocrify ^ fome few fuch may fometimes be Deluded by their
c-noifie Prate, and Impudent Scribble. UntthofewhofnGodhasaF^'
'^vbur for ^ jho'll be Delivered from their Snares*
; But the ^/?<?/?/^ fays. There U no Forcer but of Goi: The Powers th^t
ie^ are Ordain' dcf God. The Affertion is an Infallible Truth, ando-^^*
very way confonant to Reafon There is no Power but of the People.
The Powers that be^ are Ordained by the People ; fay our Atheiflkal
fioutefem ; i. e. There were Subjefts, before there were any Prin-
ces ; Scholars, before Teachers ; Servants, before Mafters ; Children,
beforeParents; and Converts before there were any Preachers: And
thefe are the profound Difcoveries of our Modern Oracles ofl{eafon^ \
doubt not but that thofe, who place the Original Source of all Power in
ik People, could they get their Principle received, would foon ftrike
as boldly at the God of Heaven^ as they do now at the Gods on Earth ;
and would bring Matters to that paf?, that Godjhould not be God, unJefs
He\d be fuch as thefe Men would have Him. As TertuUian of old obfer-
ved,concerning the Management of the Heathen, & the wild Notions
^ which they had of their Deities. And of this Defign they have alrea-
dy ^iven us a very confiderable Specimeny as if they were the Lineal
Defcendants of the Old Gyants, heaping huge Mountains of Impious
Affertionsuponone-another, that they may, at laft, reach Heaven it
felf; and Infult the Almighty, on His Eternal Throne.
Bat that we may underftand the Solidity ^ndi Piety of this Admirable
'Notion the better, let us examine it by the Word oi God , by the Do-
.ct|:ineand Devotions of ourChureh, and by the Lawsof this King-
We'll examine^ it by the Word of Gdd^ that which we call his Written
Word, or the Holy Scriptures, and that a little more carefully th^n
phefe wonderful Men feem to have done. And here, asforG^«t'r/x/
Aff^rtions, God tells us, that it U the nwji Hij^k^ who I{uhih in the iQng*
def^2 of Men^ andgiveth it to rohcm fever he rvill.^ Van, 4. 17. And again,
he forbids the Wicked to fet up their Horns on high, or tofpeah with a ^*ijf\
JSTeck, And why? Be caufe Promotion cOf77eth neither fi-om the Uafl, nh-
ft'omtheWeJi, nor yet fiom the South i, for God is the ^udge, he putteth
down one, and fetteih up another^ Piai. 7'). $5 6, 7, Again, God hath
jpchn, once and twice have } heard the fame^ thai Power belongeih unto
■G.Qi, Pfklo 62o II, WiKHQc we ^re ;;u.iG^ht to Enforce our Petitions -
^ .^" ""■" ■ ■ ■ "" . : ... . . ■. t#
theThirttethof]2inudLxyf 170'
Almighty God in the Lords-Prayer, with thofe Confiderations ; Tinne
ii the I(ingdorh^ and the Tower and the Glory for ever and. everi Kvi^ God
declares of Jiimfelf, By me J\ings B,eign^ and Vrlnccs decree Juflzce \ by
'1976 Princes I{ule^ and Nobles^ even all the Judges of the Earth.
"■ Hence it is. That when ^'^wf^f?/, in tii& Name of God, Expoftulates
1|t|th i'^tt/ for his Difobedieiaceinfparing^^^^^iT^ l^f^g ^^f ^^^^ JimaJe-
iktesy and the beft of their Oxen and theirSlieep, wliich God had Com-
inanded him to deftroy, he tells him, H'hen thou waft Little htthine
Vwn fight y v?afi thou not made the Head if the Tribes of Ifrael ? j<lnd the
Lord Anointed thee K^ng over Ifrael; becaufe thou haft rejetled the Word.
6f the Lord^therefore he alfo hath reje^ed thee from being K^i^^. So I^'athan
reproaches jD^-jii^ when he had bafely Murderedl/r^c^/Zby the Sword
'Of the Ammonites ; Thm faith the Lord Obd of Ifrael, lAnointed thee
^KI^S ^"^^^ Ifrael, and I gave thee thy Mafler^'s Houfe^ and thy Mafier*s
Wives into thj Bofom, and gave thee the Houfe (?/ Ifrael and (?/Judah^
*^ Sam. 12. 7, 8. So Abijah tells Jeroboam^ Thus faith the Lord God of
Ifrael, I Exalted thee from among the People^ and riiade thee Prince over
'fny People Ifrael, and I(ent the Kingdom fiom the 1-Iouft of David, and
^ave it unto thee^ i Kings 14. 7, 8. Jehu the Prophet ipeaks to the
Tame purpofe to Baajha^ King of Jfrael ^ / Exalted thes out of thp Duf}^
^d made thee Pri^tce over my People Ifrael, i KingB«i6. 2* banzd tells
•i5<p///;-4^^^r concerning his Predeceffor, The mo/r high ilodgavel^chU'
"thadnezzar, thy Father^ a Kingdom^ and Majejiy^ and Glory, an d- Honour y
"knd for the Majefl^ which he gave him^ all People^ Nations^ and Language Sy
Trembled and Feared before him 5 whom he would he Jlnn^ and whom he
•would he kept aliv^ ; whom he would he fet upy and whor7 he would he put
downy Dan. 5. 18. After all which our Saviour, who certainly knew
beft from whence all Power wasderiv'd,when Pilate (aid lo him, IQiow-
eji thou not that I have Power to Crucipe thee^and that 1 have Power tol^eleafe
thee I Anfwers him, TIjOu couldft have no Power agalnji me^ if it were not
^iven theefi'om above^ John 19. lo. And yet Pilate was but one of the
"Emperor Tiberius's Subftitutes in the Government of fudea : And af-
ter his Refurreftion, our Lord tells his Difciples, All Power is given to
he both in Heaven and in Earthy "Mat. 28, 18. Yet, certainly, all that
Power was not conferred on him by the People.
Now, from all this I Argue, If all Power belongs to Cod only ; if
he raifes to Kingdoms, and pulls down ; gives and takes away what
Power and Authority, and to whom he pleafes ; If Saul^ David^ Solo-
wony^eroboam^ BaafhayNebuchadncnar^ and all Sovereign Princes; If
'P/7tf/^, and all Inferiour Governours : if theCruciiyM ].-fu% who was
Ki^^ ^f Kj^^^y ^^^^ ^^^^ of Lords ; if all thefe derivM their Power from .
'■*G6d,and from him only, as the fole Fountain and Original of all
* Powers, then no Power at all can be Originated from the People^cind every
* attempt of theirs to that purpofe, it it were fealible, would be a:i
Ufiirpation : But the Fir/} is True, and tlierefore the I.afi. The Pre-
mifes are the Word of God in Scripture^ and the Conclufior, from
thofe Premifes iurrefragabl^, ' ..
■ •. - . If
^SERMON Preached on
i
If we enquire into the firft kinds of Government in the World,
can find none but that of Fathers and of Kjngs\ the whole Book ^_
God gives us no Inftance of any other. , God himfelf aflfumes bo^
thofe Charafters, and both the Powers met at firft in the fame Perfonj.
The beft He^^then Writers agree in the Antiquity of Kingly Govern-
ment ; fo Cicero tells us^ That all the njoft Jif-
Omnes antiqua? Gen- dent Nations were Govern'' d. by I{ings ; Saluft ;
tes Regibus primum that Monarchy^ or that of JQngs^ was the NamP
paruere. De Leg. of the Firfl Government in the World. In the
Regium in terris pri- beginnings fays ^uflin^the Government of all Feo-
mum Imperij Nomen pie and Nations was only in iQngs. And as Mo-
fuit, Sal, Conj. Cat. narchy was the neareft Refemblance of tAe*
PrincipiorerumGen- Government of all things by God himfelf, fo
tium Nationumq; it was a peculiar Bleffing which God promis'd
Imperium penes Re- to beftow upon his own People IfrasL Hen^
ges erat. Hift. 1. i. Balaam makes it an Evidence of God's Love
to them ; He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacol^
fays he, neither hath he fee n Terverfenefs in Ifrael ; the Lord his God is
rcith hi/ify and the Shout of a I\ing is among them^ Numb. 23«. 3 1. And
God who had made iT^/3/^5 King in jr^j7;ttri^n, and Jiaron Aiofes's Pro-
phet-, and his own High-Prieft, without ever Confulting them, did Ip
to fhow that all Power Ecclefiafiical and Civil was only inhimfelf\ and that,
tho' in the beft Conftituted Earthly Government, thofe Powers ought
to be in different Hands ^ yet they ought always to^o together. As Go4
forefaw that when Ifrael were at Reft in Canaan^ they would defire a
King, that they might be like the Neighbouring Nations, fo he nei-
ther forbids nor difcourages themvbut he direds them how they might
pbtain their dcfire, and the King how he fbould behave himfelf" in
the Management of that Authority invefted in him.
■ Now here we cannot but obferve, that God does not tell them, that
' ;n fuch a Cafe, Tl^ey were the Original of all Tower themfelves^ that their
J\jng would be only their Truflee^ and that they might confer the F^yal Po-
ycer upon any Man when they pleased ; but, on the contraryjhe tells them.
When thou foah fay ^ I will make a K^ng over me^ thou^alt in any wifefet
him KJng over thee^ Deut. 17. 14, i<. Not whom thou thy felf ihalt
chufe, but whom the Lord thy God Jhall chufe. And the People were fo
fenfibb that: they could not give any fuch Power to any Man as was
necefiliryto make him a real King, that, when they had a mind to
One, they never pretended to chufe or make One themfelves,but they
apply thtmfelres to ^^;;?w^^/, who till then had been their Go veraour
by God's own Appointment ; and thus they Addrefs themfelves to
him, Behold thou art Old^ and thy Sons walk not in thy ways ; now niake u\
a iQng to^udge m like all the Nations^ 1 Sam. 8. 5. Which very paf-
iagecontiriiis thofe Affertions of the Heathen Writers mentioned be-
fore : Samuel receives their Petition, but Confiilts them t|i farther in
the matter. He Commands them Every one to their own Cities^ v, 22.
and then he lays their P..equeft before the Lord, who Commands him
to facile their Delires j and then God pro'mifes to Samuel^ that he
• '■' ■ Km-
the Ihirtieth of January, 170 1
himfelf would fend that Perfon to him, v)honj hefhouU anoint to be Cap-
tain over kps People. And accordingly, when Saul came at the time ap-
pointed, The lord faid unto Samuel, Behold the Man of ipho/^ Ijpaketc^
tbee^ this fame jhall I{eign over my people^ i Sam. 9. i5, 17, Upon this
Samuel anoints Saul^ and gives him the firft Kifs of Fe?ilty himfelf, the
People knowing nothing of all this ; and Samuel fays to Sauly Is it not
becauje the Lord hath anointed thee to be Captain over hif Inheritance f
I Sam. 10. I. God then gives Saul the Spirit of Government, that he
might be capable of that great Office, a Largefs which he could fcarcc
have receiv'd from the Bounty of the People. And now can any Man
be ^0 filly, as to think, that if the Capricious Multitude (hould have de-^
clar'd againft Saul^ God would have comply'd with their difcontented
Humours ? The Choice, on the Solemn Day appointed for that pur*
pofe, is not refer'd to the People, that he who had the moft Votes
(hould carry it^ but it's refer'd to the Lot. Now, as Solomon teacheth
us. The Lot is cafi into the Lap^but the difpofal of it is from the Lord^Vrow
16. 33. Therefore to refer the matter to the Xof, was to refer it tci
theXori,and not to the VeopU. But, to fhew how entirely uncon-
cern'd the Multitude were in this whole Tranfaaiofl, God, who can
do no wrongs and would never rob the People of their juft Rights and
Liberties, was angry with 4SVtw/ for the Breach of that Orde'r given,
him by Samuel ; and Samuel^ in the Name of God, tells him. Thou haji
done Foolijhly, thou hafi not kept the Commandment of the Lord thy God^
for novo would the Lord have Ejlablip^d thy Kingdom over Ifrael/or ever^
1 Sam, 13. 19, 20, 21. They were not the People who could have
done it. Butnow^ fays he, thy Kingdom Jljall not continue Ctho*fhe
People (hould be never fo fond of himj ne Lord hath fought him a
Man after his ovon Hearty and the Lord hath Commanded him to be Captain
Cvn his Teople^ becaufe thou hafi not done what the Lord Commanded thee^-
V. I*), 16.
Well, this Man after God^s own Heart was Vavidy the Son of Jeffe ;
Samuel had told Saul before, Thou hafi rejefled the Word of the Lord^
and the Lor d^ not the People, hath re jeBed thee fiom being E^ng over
Ifrael ; and when 6Vz«/ laying hold on SamueVsMzntlQy'^vcntity Sa-
muel told him. The Lord^ not the People, hath Rent the K^zngdom of
Ji'r^cl from thee this Day\ and he^ not the People, bath given it to a
Neighbour of thine ^ who is better than thou^ Saip. 15. 27, 2%, But did
God leave the People more at Liberty in the Cafe 01 David ? In SauJ^
indeed, //<?^^"J^ them a K^ng in his Wrath^ and took him away' in his
Vifpleafure. But did he not let the Ifraelites pleafe themfelves in the
choice of the next Man ? No, Samuel is fent to Anoint David too^
when the People never thought of it. After this, God, by feverai
Steps, brings him to theThrone at laft, i Sam. i6. 12. i3»TheTrr^<p
pf jfudah^ indeed, after Saul\ Death, met him at Hchiori'frfi.and therm
j4n(iinted him their Kfng^ 2 Sam. 2. 4. After the Death of ifhbcfheih^
^d«/'sSon, All the Tribes of Ifrael came up to Hebron, ^f^i there they
Anointed him K^ng over all Ifraei ; Nay, and there David ^^^icje a Cove-
nant wjthxhejm too before the Lord. And. it may be, our Great Polity*
ciar.s^-
8 ^SERMON Preached on
cian% who found out the Hvreb ConiraB:^ may call this t\i^ Original^
Contrafi^ but that unhappily for them ; We hear of no fuch Ow/r^fiF
niade vdth'Judak.nor one Word of any fuch thing when hexvas Anoint-*
ed by S^tnuel ^ nor do the People plead that they had made Choice^
of him of their own Accord^ and that they might have Chofen ano-""
ther if they had pleased j Uat they tell Vavid^ In iime^afl^-whenSzvXj .
roii/5 Kj^S ^"^^^ ^^y ^^^^ ^'-^^ ''^^fl ^^^ ^'^^ Leddeji outy and Broughiefl Iri
Ifrael ; and the Lord fazd to ihee^ thou jlmh lEeed my People Ifrael, ant
tkoujhalt be Captain over Ifraelj; a Sam, 5. i, 2, 3. Hence, when Michol^
Saul's Daughter^ Reproach'd jDavid for Dancing as he did before the]
Ark, David, replies upon her. It wm before the Lord, t6at lord who chofe"
ffje before thy Fatherland before all his Houfe^ to appoint me I{uler over the
people of the Lord^ even over Ifrael, 2 Sam. 6. 21. Therefore the Pfal--
niift Commemorat.es not the Peoples, but God's Favour ; for He chofe\
David his S^rvant^^nd took him from the She epfold^from following the Ews
Great with Toung^ and brought him to Feed Jacob hU People, and Ifrael
t:li Inheritance : So he Fed them according to the Integrity oj hU Hearty and.
Fouled them faithfully with all hi^ Power, Pfal, 78. 7I, 72, 73.
But Varuid Defil'd Bathjheba,2ind Murder'd Uriah : He gave Credit'^
to Flattering Treacherous Ziba, and did a great deal of wrong to In-'
nocent Mephihofheth: David Numbred the People in an Irregular and.^
Unju/Vifiable manner, for which his poor Subjefts fufFered feverely.'
David Comm>andcd feveral Executions without any Law, but his Owa
Arbitrary Will and Pleafure : And yet the People ivere fo dull, as ne*;
yer to Call him to an Account for any of thefe things; they hevet
Charge Him v^ith Arhitrarinefs or Tyranny, they never complain,
t^tid^t He had broken the Original Contrnth :, and, therefore, had loji a%
pretences to the VeGi>les JlUegiance. Rebels He had, indeed, and thof^^
Headed by his ovvU Son, and they were fuch as pretended, that Alfd-'
hm was like to be a Better Governor than David : And Ahfolom vvas^
really the Choice of the People, and a wonderful Inftance of theit
Great Piety, Loyalty, and Difcretion. But David was fo far from
thinking himielf accountable to i*^ 5'rj^r^i^« People for any thing he
haddone,th;ir, under the Guilt of the greateft 'Crime he had ever' '
Commicted, rho' all his Subjefts were injur'd in the Barbarous Ufage
of Uriah, yet he never veilM to them, but to God, as accountable to,
none but Him : He confelTes, Againji Thee, Tbce only have I Sinned, anJt
dane ihU Evil in thi Sight, And, while Kings, be they never fo Great,''
fear God, as their Judge, they luay well be excufed from the Madnefs
cf the People.
Again, David, drawing near his End, is fo far from Repenting^ that
He had taken up tlie Government of Jfraely without the Choice of
thePeople, that he neither Confults them, nor the ordinar^^ Courfe ^
of Law as to the Defcent of Inheritances. But he palTes by his own^ *
J^Ider Sons, tho' it may be the Darlings of the People, and by hu own
fole Authority, makes Solomon, one ofhisT^^^w^^r Sons, His Heir and
Succeffor in the Kingdom : And we don't find any Commotion among
^ the Pcopl^e on this Occafion^ as if they had been deprived of their
the Thirtieth of JanuitYi i^Or- „„ '.'9
Natural OT legal I{jghts. The Ten Tribes were zngvy ^'itld^uddh^
becaufe their Advice was not taken in bringing Home their Kjng^ ifter
theRebelironot^^/o/owwasqua(b'd: But we don't find that any of
them were Angry ^itYiDavidy becaufe he did not take their Advice
in fettling the Succeflion. And Soloffion^ who^ perhaps, was as Wife a
Man, andasGreataMafterof Reafon, as any of our Modern preten-
ders^ when ^iowijafc had incurr'd his Difpleafure, by asking ^/4Z'7//;^jf
for his Wife, does not talk of his coming to the Throne by the Choice
of the people ; but he referrs It to God only. It was God, voko had Efla-
ilijhed hiWy andfet him on the Throne of DaVid, his Father ; i Kings 2i
24. And, in his Prayer at the Bigh-place in Gibeon ; Thouy fays he^ 0
Lordy my Gody haft made thy Servant iQng in the room of Davld^ niy Fa-
ther. I Kings 3. 7* 7 ;■'
And thus, when God fefolv'dtoPunifli the taltufes otSo'lomn'^
Old-Age^ by cutting the Kingdom of his Son l^ehoboam fliort : A hi jab
the Frophet tells ^eroboam^(notth^t the People, according to their owil
Fancy, ftould, upon^ir firft Difguft with Kehoboamy chule hinij and
make him their King; but he tells him) in the NameofOod, Ivoilt
take the Kingdom out of the Hand of the Son of Solomon ; anJ[ 1 rviUgive
it unto thee ^ even Ten Tribes^ and I will have thee^ and thoujhalt Feign
according to All that 'thy Soul defireth^ andjhalt be Xjng over Ifrael, li^'w*
i^-35>B7- And therefore, tho' the People, as of a mutable Tem-
per, and weary of the moft Glorious Reign in the World, were very
forward to make Jeroboam their King, We are told, that The Caufe was
of the Lordj 1 K^ngs 1 2. 24. And therefore, God, by the Prophet She-
maiah^ forbad J^hoboam to Arm for the Recovery of th^ofe Revolted
Tribes. And when Abi]am^ the Sort of /^fcoZ>(?^Av,reproache5 Jerobodni
forhis Rebellion, He does not Charge him with Rebelling againft Ofie
^homthe People had Elefted for their King; But^ Ought ye not to
inow^ fays he, that the Lord God of Ifrael, gave the l^ngdotn of Ifrael to
David for ever^ even to him^ and to his Son^ by an everlajiing Covenants,
2 Chron. 13. 5* And aga»in, when God defign'd to root out the Pofte-
rity of wicked Ahab^EUjha fends one of the Sons of the Prophets to %-
fnoth Gileady to Anoint Jehu -King of Ifraeh And he had no more to
do, but, upon the Aftion of Anointing him, to tell him, Thwi^ faith the
\jotdiJhave Anointed thee iQng over Ifrael. And ftrait his Fellow Com-
manders, who might have envy'd his Preferment above them, or have
been Angry becaufe he had not asked their Confent firft, quite forgot
2\\t\it\x Natural lights ^nA Privileges^ and immediately Pfoelaim'd
Jehu King.
. This (b\e power of Making and JDeihronitig J^ngs^ God affumcs to
Himfelf^ not only in Ifrael^ but in all other Countries* Thus of Old
He had promised Kings, and Princes, and Captains, to Jfnmacl,, Efau^
and others, and had made them part of thofe Bleffings which Hein-
iended to beftow upon them in prOcefs of time. So Ifaiab fpeaks con-
terning Cyrm, two Hundred Years before his Birth. Cyrus is ^?y A-
fiointedy not the Anointed of the People, whofe night Hand I have hot-
ien to fubdue Ncitm$ before Him i I will hofe tk Loiris of KJr^gs befort
B " ' him i
JO A SEKHOU PreaMoH
Hm ; / v^ill break in pkcesJhe Gates of Brafsy and cut afunder the Bars of
Iron : I d/77 the lord, and there U none elfe ; there U no God befide Me :.
Tnut they may know from the rifmg of theSun to the going down ofthefamCy
that there is none befide Ale : lam the Lord ^ and there is none elfe. ]fa.
45. I, 2, 5, 6. And, iYiO* CyruiAii. not know the God of 7/r(z^/ as fuch,
nor what the Prophet had foretold concerning Him, yet he Ta-w more
of Truth, by that dim Light he had, than our Atheifiical Scribblers do*.
For, in his Ed'i^l for the Return of the Gaptive Jervs^ and the Rebuil-
ding of their Temple, T%m^^ faith Cyrm King of Ver^a, the Lord God
cf Heaven hath given me All the lQngdom$- upon Earths E\ra i. 2. And,
llnce Rings are fometimes as Senfelefs as their Subjeds, and forget
that all Power is frdm Gody God to teach them better, laid that terri-
ble Judgment upon haughty AVt^nT/Ww^^^^^r, to drive him from among
Men, and to make him as a Beaft, to Confort with Beafts only, that
he might Learn that Leffon perfeftly. That the moft High I^uleth in the
K^ngdowsof Men, and give th them to whom he will* This the Voice
from Heaven Eccho*d in his Ears at YiisTransformation^ that he (houldt
fiiiFer till he was throughly Convinc'd of that Truth: And tofhow
that he had not been Ghaftized in vain, when he became a Man again
he openly confefles, ' That God*s Dominion is an everlafting.Domi-
* nion, and his Kingdom is fronr Generation to Generation ^ That he ^
' does according to His Will in the Armies of Heaven, and among the
^ Inhabitants upon Earth. That His Works were Truth, and his Ways
^ Judgment, and fuch as Wallc in Pride, He is able to Abafe* i?tf«, 4*
^ 20,33,34,35,36,37.
. Now, from all thefe Inftances I argue,- That if God, without Con-
futing the People, made Mofesy Said^ Da^jid^ Solomon^ ^eroboam^ Baa-
Jha^ Jeku^ Cyrm^ Nebuchadne^^ar^ and others. Kings of their feverab
Kingdoms, and affumes this Glory to Himfelf alone ; And if all thefe
Princes, both who knew the true God, and v/ho knew him nst, afcri-
bed the Glory of their Exaltation only to Him; Andifthis was the
LelTon which God always took care to imprint upon the Minds of all
Men, then the People whom thefe Princes Governed, did not confer •
the Royal Power and Authority upon them. But the Firfl is true, and
prov'd by every Inilance given, and there can be no Inftance given t^
the contrary; and therefore the X<j/? is true too. But to proceed,
, 2(i/;, Let us fee next, what the Do^rine of the Eflablifh^d Church of
England is in this particular^ and whether that Church fixes-'tfc^ Origi-
nal of Tower in GcdyOr in the Teofle^ And here,, in the firft place we are -
told. That ' The Rule ,ind Government of all Eftates and Degrees of
*- Men is committed to the Charge of our Princes by God^ AB:s 37.
'there's no mention of the People there. The Church Preaches the
fimi: Doctrine, and afferts the Z?/V/;7^/(/^i[rf, or Original of Kit^gs in
h:: I Homilies., and which none of our Clergv can contradift without
)%jurv. * Godi^fnyjfhe., not only Ordain'd, that in Families and-
^ Honlhotds the Wife frould be Obedient unto her Husl^nd, the Chil-
* dren unro their Parents, the Servants unto their Malters \ but alfo,
' when i
the Thirtieth of January, i yo'i. \ r
' when Mankind increafed, an^ fpread themfelves more largely over
* the World, He, by his Holy Wor(^ did Cpnffitute and Ordain in
* Cities and Countries^ feveral and ipecial Governors and Rulers, u'h-
* to wl^m the Refidueof the People fhould be Obedient, I{o^. 13.
After this the Church refers herfel ftp the Dpftrine of St. Paul and St.
Teter^ \ Pet. 2;, and haying cited them at large. She infers from fheir
Words, That * It is nioftevident,Thatlvings, Qiieens,and other Prin-
*;ces, ar<? Ordain'd of God, and are to be Obey'd and Honour'd by
•iheirSubjefts; That fuch Subjefts as are Rebellious and Difobedient
*^to their Princes, Difobey God, and procure their own Damnation :
* That the Government of Princes is a Blefiing of God, given for the
' Publick Weal, and efpecially of the Good and Godly ; for the Com-
* fort and Cherifhing of whom, God fetteth up Princes. Finally^ She
teaches^ 'That if Servants ought to Obey their Mailers, not only
^ being Gentle, but fuch as are Frowar4; as well, and much mori,
^ ought Subjefts to be Obedient, not only to the iGood and Cour6rous„
* but alfo to Sharp and Rigorous Princes. It co;iies, therefore, nei-
* ther of Chance, nor JFortune, nor of the Aiijbition of Mprtal Men or
* Women, Climbing up of their own Accord to Dominion, that there
* are Kings, Queens, Princes, and other Goyernpurs over Men, who
* are their Subjefts. But all Kings, Qiieens, Princes, and other Gover-
* nours, are efpecially appointed by the Ordinance of Go^^^ And ijs
* God Himfelf, being of an Infinite Majefty, Power, and Wifdoni,'Ri!-
* leth and Governeth all things in Heaven and Earth, as the tTnivcr-
* fal Monarch, and Only King. over All, as being able to take and bear
* the Charge of All •, fo hath He Conftituted, Ordain'd, and fet Earth-
*ly Princes over particular Kings and Dominion on Earth, both for
* the avoiding of all Confufion, which would be in the Worlds if i^
* fhould be without Governours, and for the great
* Quiet and Benefit of Earthly Men, their ^iib- Jj^ahifl wilfull
* jeds ; and alfo that the Princes themfelves in ^bsllion ^Hoimlh
^ Authority, Power,Wifdom,Prudence^j-and Iiigl>
* teoufnefs in the Government of the People, and Countries, commit-
* ted to their Charge,(hould refemble His Heavenly Gpyernment fo far
* as Heavenly may be (hadow'd out by Earthly tjiings. Here,then, ouic
Church' makes neither Govern/^ent^ nor Governours^ z Humane Invent
tion, but a Dhine Infthution ; and'affures us, That not the People, but
God himfcilf, who is the Centre of all Power and Sovereignty, fets up
Princes arid Governours, whom, and were he lifts, and nptasMeri
pleafe, or as the Giddy Multitude fancv.
Hence Henry VlII. who gave the firfl Shock to papal Tyranny in
thefe Kingdoms, in the Comrnifllon which he gave for the l^eformatkn
of Ecdcfiaflicql Laws ; which Work was'finifhed, tho' not Authorized,
in the Reign of his Son Edroard Vf. tells the Nation, ^ That t>iey, ac-
•^ cording to all the Laws, both of God and Man, had acknowledg'd
•him the Only and Supream Head of the Church, immediately wn-
•der God, and had Unanimouny declar'a, riutail Power, both Ec-
' E^ ' ^clefiaftic^l
J X ^SERMON Preached on
^clefiaftical and Temporal, belong'd, and,
jpf0 ^ure plvmn, ViL ' was given to him and his Succefforsby Di-^
^fprnu X<?. EccUf. < vine Rights Which none but the Slaves of
B^m^. thea deny'd in the Senfe in which that.
Prince took it ; and none but Papifts and
their Confederates now oppofe; nor is there any more direft way
for the Re-admiffion of POFERY into thefe Kingdoms^ than to
deny the Supremacy of our Princes, as the irotcfc Presbyterians do:
And the Divine j{i/bt of Sovereignty, as our Seflaries and Atheifts do
in EngJani. That Convocation which fat in the Year 1640, which was
the firft that ever made a Canon, particularly to prevent the GrowtK
of POPERY and SOCINIANISM, thofe Poifonous Weeds which
now flourish fo'much in our EngUjh Soil, 'took care, in the firft place,
to Order all the Beneficed Clergy to declare, on fome Lord's Day,
four times every Year, Audibly to their Congregations, * That the
* moft High and Sacred Order of Kings is of Divine j^ight, being the
^ Ordinance of God Himfelf, founded in the Prime lUws of Nature,
< and clearly Eftablilh'd by Exprefs Text, both
of the ^egal * of the Old and New-Teftament. A fupream
Tovoer. Cant. i. * Power is given to this moft Excellent Order by
^ God Himfelf in Scripture; which is. That Kings
•^fhould Rule and Command in their feveral Dominions, all Perfons
•^ of what Rank or Eftate foever, whether Ecclefiaftical or Civil, and
* that they fhould Reftrain and PuniOi with the Temporal Sword, all
< Stubborn and Wicked Men; All which, tho' thefe Canons were
quarrel'd with, becaufe of Tome fUppos'd Irregularity in the paffing
of them, is no more than what every One, who has any Acquaintance
v/ith, oxKtvtxtnctioitheWrittenWoriiof God^ knows very well to
be agreeable to it. And hence it was that the Gloriom Martyr of this,
Day^ when he was before thofe Execrable Wretches, who Compos'd.
that which they cajl'd The Nigh Court of ^ujiice^
Nalfon'r Joi'imal declin'd their Authority, and told them, like a
pa^e 35. King, « I fliall not betray my Truft ; I have a
^Truft Committed to Me by God, by Old and
* "^ Lawful Dcfcent : I will not betray it to anfwer to a New Unlawful
^ Authority. And it may be there were few then Living, who knew
better what the Laws of God, and of this Nation required, than that
Pious Prince.
Let us now look into our Publick Liturgy, which is part of the Sta-
tute-Law of this Kingdom, and fee how that Teaches us to exprefs
our felves in our folemn Addreffes to Almighty God \ and in that, cer-
tainly our Sovereign, with the Three Eftates of this Realm, in Par-
liament AiTembled, would not Teach us to Banter our Maker, or
'to make Acknowledgments before the Great Judge of all the World,
contrary to the laws of Nature^ as they are call'd; and the Juft
ilights and Liberties of the People of England. The BleM Martyr
oj ihif Day^ in his admirable Meditations, obferves. That One,
fGreUt. Pique his Enemies hadagainft our Liturgv, was, That it
■ " ,/ :'.'.. •. "' tausht
the Thirtieth of Jd^nmry, 170^. i^
« taught them to pray fo frequently for him. And, Indeed, the .
Forms of Prayer in that Liturgy are fuch, that nqne can joyn hearti-^:
ly with them, but they muft abhor this Principle; That Princes-
derive their Power fiom the People, as it's Ivlaintain'd, either by
Heretical Papifis, Fanatical SchifntatickSy or Brutijl) Libertines d^nd*
Atheifls.
■ In our Liturgy, the Colleft at Morning and Evening Prayer for-
the Queens Majefty, teaches us, to Stile God, our Heavenly Fa-
ther, Kj^i of Ki^^^y ^^^^ ^/ L$riy the only Fouler of Princes. AnA
qertainly, if God be the only Ruler of Princes, then Princes can*
not be accountable to any but Him. For Nature Teaches us to
be fubjeil, not to thofe whom we Govern, which would be a Con-
tradiftion in Terms, but to be fubjeft to fuch as Govern us; And
they who forget this, take very little heed to their Devotions. A-
gain, when we come to the moft Sacred Ordinance of the Lord's
Supper^ when we ought to fet t^e fevereft Guard both upon our
Hearts and Lips ; We there beg of God, ' That He would fo R.ule'
*the Heart of his chofen Servant (hot Ours) ANNEy our
* Queen and Governour, that She knowing ' whofe Minifter She
is, i. e. That She is the Minifler of God, not the Minifrer or
Truftee of the People, may, above all things, feek God's Ho-
nour and Glory: Without which Care Her Government can
never be Happy or Bleft. *And that we and all Her Subje^ls,
^•duly confidering whofe Authority She ' hath, may faithfully
< Serve, Honour, and humbly Obey Her in God, and for God,
^.according to His bleffed Word and Ordinance, But now, if
the Sovereign's Authority be deriv'd from the People, j:hat
Confideration is not apt to- Teach us Fidelity and Obedience,
but Infolence and Stubbornnefs ; to Treat our Queen only as
the Cr^^ff^r^ 0/ t^^ People ^ to Threatea Her with the Original
Magazine of Power ; to call Her to an Account for every Frai^
ty of Humane Nature ; and for every unhappy Event, tho' of
the beft-laid Defigns, and of the moft prudent Counfels. To
let Her know that She's upon her good Behaviour ; and
v^hen Her Sovereign Creator pleafe, niuft lay
Volente Juhente by Her Dieu GT Mon Droit^ and take up. By
Populo Anglic the Will and. Command of the People of England,
cano. And this is what our Fafiiom and Atheiflkal
Scribblers would fain be at, when they deny
Trier Hereditary J{ight 'y and make all Her Power to rife only
from the Confent of the People. In the next Colleft we pray
for ANNEy God's Servant^ not Ours; but Qur Ouecn and Go-
verneur : And in the Prayer for the Church Militant^ it is AlSll^Ey
Thy Servanty not Ours: All which Exprefiions would be abo-
mirtably Prophane, and Impudent, if our Queen be the Servant
of the People, and the People be the }{eal Sovereign both of
Church and Stateo
Again
14 A SERMON Preac&e^oH
Again, in the laft Colleft, in the Old CdtTimon'Trayer-Booh^ for thb'
Service of this Day, we are taught to Thar^ God that, ^ Tho* ^
*forour many and great Provocations, he did fuiFer his Anointed to*
* fali ttris Day into the Hands of Violent and Blood-thirfty Men, and
SBarbacoufly to be Murdered by them, yet he did not leave us as
f Sheep without a Shepherd, but did preferve our moft Gracious So^
* vereign Charles 11. and did bring him back to Sit in Peace upon the
' Throne of his Father, and to Exercife that Authority over us, which,
* of hisfpecial Grace He^ i. e. God ; not We^ i. e. the Teophy had Com-
* mitted to him. And over and over we are taught in that Service t6
call our Martfr'd Monarchy God's An}>znted : A Title which our roeU^
Temper d Fa^ionifls and Aiheifls fo heartily Ridicule. In the Office'
for tHiQ Thankfgivmg^ May the 29th, in the firft Colleft, « We Pro-
* mife in. God, ^nd for God, all Loyal and Dutiful Allegiance to his
* Anointed Servant Charles 11. and his Heirs after him. In the next
CoHeft, we Biefs God, ^ For that he did on that Day firft bring into
*tic World, and then bring back and reftore to us, and to his own
*Juft and Undoubted Rights, our moft Gracious Sovereign Lord his
* Servant King CW/(?^. But what Rights could he have of his op.^«,
\jYiOk Father had been DethronU Imprifon'd, Try'd, and Barbaroufly
Murder'd, and himfelf Profcrib'd, and Hunted after by the fame
B/ooi-//o««ii, to the utmoft Hazard of his Life? A-nd ro own whofe
Hereditary Right to the EngUjh Crown, was made Treafon h)' the
prevailing Rebels P Again, at the end of the Litany, ^ W^e acknow-
Pledge God^s efpecial Grace, by which he brought Home to ushii
•^ Servant King Charles, our Sovereign, and that //^, not If^^?, plac'd'
♦^him on the Throne of this Kingdom. And in the lafi: Colleft for
that Day, we beg, ^ That God would receive our Humble Prayers,-
^ with our Thankfgivings, for our Sovereign Lord Charles^ fet over us,
^Nothyourfelves^ but by his Grace and Providence, to be our King.
^ Thus our Church, in her pubiick Devotions^ teaches us, to Recog-
^ nize the Authority of our Kings and Qiieens, not as derived from
* the People, but as dei iv'd from Heaven ; and they muft be precious
Sons of the Church of England^ Who can joyn in all thtfe Prayers to
God with theii? Lips, and yet in their Hearts deny' every Word they
fpeak,
Weil, but it may be thefe were Doftrines and Devotions cur-
rent only when High-Church prevaiPd, and when the prefent P^/>
lent Humor of Moderation w'd.'^ not fo much Admir'd ; but now that
our Faclioui Jtheifts have Blefs'd the Nation with thdrNewFoHtuk
Schemes of Government^ and have made the People, not the PriWce,
our Rightful Sovereign, Our Bifliops may have Learn'd better things,
and may have Modeird the Service of thefe Red-Letter'd-Days, ac-
cording to the A.dmirable Rules oi Mariana^ Buchanan^ Hottom an ^
Milton^ Sidney y Lock^ Toland^ Tutchin^ and Other I^ew Lights of thfrfe
later Ages. No, our CJiurch Govtrnours, dull as they 'are, are not
yet fo farEdify'd; a great deal of that High-Cb^r^'h Leaven^ i. e. of
GencyQui Fiety and Hor^fly^ appears ftill in ih'^ir publick Compofltions.
. ^' Hence
theJhirtiethof JsLvmary^ 1707^ 15
Hence in theprefent Hymn for this Day, they apply thofe Words
ISO the Cafe of our Martyr'd Sovereign, ^ The People ftood itp, and
*)the Rulers took Counfel together againft the Lord^ and againit
^ his Anointed; and * The Breath of our Noftrils, the Anointed of
*the Lord was taken in their Nets ; even the Man of God's Right
• Hand, the Man whom he had made fo ftrong to him-feif. In the Ser-
vice for the 29th of ^lay, we call Hef prefent Ma)efty^.not the Pecv
plcSyhutGod's Anointed jet over ixi\ an'd m the Form of Tl?ank£^iv2Kg
for Her Majefties Acceis to the Throne, March fht'ith'j ^Vife yield
•our Unfeigned Thanks to God, for that he was pleased, as oa
•this Day, to place his Servant our Sovereign Lady, Q^ecn Jnnc^
• upon the Throne of thefe Kingdoms. And again, * We Pray
• and give Thanks for our Sovereign Lady Anne, as on this Day
•fetover us, not by our own^ but by his Grace and Providence,
•to be our Queen. Again, we own him, *Our raoft Graciousr
•Gody who has fethis Servant \/I««^, our Qiieen, upon the Throne
•of her Anceftors. Which looks very like Acknowledging her
Right by Succeflion ; and which thofe who deny, doubt lefs have
fome other Nearer Heir in their Eye, tho' they are fo loud in'
their Outcried againffi ^acobjteSy as the Thref is ready to cry
flop Tlfj/^'firft.
Farther yet, ^ We acknowledge, with Humble and Thankful
•Hearts, God*s great Goodnefs to us in fetting his Servant, and
•ourmoft Gracious Queen, over this Church and Nation. And
now, are not thofe v;ell flock'd with Confidence, who, after all
this, can talk of nothing but Our Sovereign Lords -the People iV^ho
will alter the Royal Stile from Anne^ by the Grace of God^ to
Anney by the Grace and Favour of the Feopky Queen of England ?
Why don't they oblige our Governours, not to Thank God for rai-
fing our Queen to the Throne of her Anceftors ; but if they will
take any Notice of him in fuch a weighty Affair, to Thank him
for putting it into their Heads to make fo good a Choice for"
themfelves, tho' it may he by following their Imaginary Laws of
Nature, they think they could have done as well without him ?
Such Prayers would beil fuit with fuch Subjefts, and fuch Chri-
ftians; and they fhould Pray yet farther, agreeably to their Prin-
ciples, 'That God would ptit it into her Majefties Mind, That/
•as (he has receiv'd her Authority from the People, fo fhe's ac-
• countable to them again for the Ufe of itt, and that (he'sQiieeii '
•fo longasfhe behaves herfclf well, and may be laid afide as fpoif
'as ever the Humour takes her Mafters, and they have a Mind to.
•another Prince, or another Govern rnenr.
'^dlfy But, whatever God's Word, and our own. Publick Forms
of Prayer and Homilies, or Articles may fay, we are to remember,^
according to fome Modern Inftruiiions given us by One, who is
a great Honour to our New Aca^iemies'^ Not that we are Chriffi-
nnSy but that we arc En^ilifo'/verf, tho' I fear fuch SubtU" Diftingui-
fhers have forgotten that they are either. Hence it is, th;jt"wa
mkft
i6 A SERMON Preached on ^^
'IJMI I ■ ■ « - ■II ■— — , -I , , , ... ■!
muft not concern our fdves with what Goi fays, or what the Cfiwrd!
fays, but what the Lav) fays.- Well then, we'll joyn Iffue wiDk
them there too, and it may be we fhall .find that Lano favours their*
Seditious Notion no more than GofpeL If we caft our Eyes*
upon the Civil "Law, we find Juftiniariy in'
I>eo JuBdre nofirunt the Front both of the j9/g^y?i ^ni Novels,'
Gubernatite Im^orium afferts, That It ipods God who hai laid the Qare^
quod Nobis a Ccelefii of the Roman Empire upon him*. And yet
Ma]eflate traditum efl^ everyone who knows any thing, knows that
J'nefaiMTriboniantwf the J{gman Empire was not Hereditary, but'
' JEieftive : And I remember that VaJentiniart
the Firfi:, iongj^befbre that, being Chofen Emperor by the Army^'
not without fonie Reluftance on his fide, when the fame Army'
\vouldhave had him prefently Nominate aC^y^r, as a kind Of Afli-'
ftant to himfelf in the Government dfthat vaft Empire ; Valentinian'
prefently ^eprinaands the Saucincis of the Propofal, and tells thent,'
*;That it had been in their Power, indeed, whether they would'
*have Chofen him or not; but now, he would have them to know/I
*that he was their Emperor, and it belong'd to him^ and notto-
^rhem to take Careof fuch Matters. Which would have beenai
very odd Compl^ent, if Valentinian had believ'd that he had .
receiv'd his Imperial Power from them, w^hen they never 4iad any
fuch Power thenlfelves, and therefore could confer no fuch Power'
upon him; what they did, was no more than what a Common-Hall*
does in this City, where they Chufe a Lprd-Mayor, indeed,^ by "Ma"
"jority of Votes, but he receives no Power from that Choice, nor*
can he, by vertue of it^ do any Aft belonging to the Office; but'
'h^. Afts by vertue of thofe Charters granted by the Sovereigns^-
uho allowed and limitted hi^ Power at their own Pleafure. ''
The Particular Laws of this Nation, of which I remember Sir
Edward Coke fays, * They are founded upon the Word of God ; and '
the higheft Reafon teach us a very different LefTon from that,of/4ff /jo- '
toer being Originally in the People. Thus a real Parliament determin'd
of Old, ^ That by fundry Authentick Hiftoriesand Chronicles it is
' manifeftly declar'd and exprefs'd. That this Realm of
24 Henr. ^England is an Empire, and fo hath been accepted
Sd. C. i2» *in the World, Governed by one Supream Head
^aad King, having Dignity and Royal Eftate of
^ the Imperial Crown of the fame. But he cannot be that Su- '
pream Head and King who derived his Authority from^ and is
accountable to, any Other Power within his Government, or ■
tvho has any in his Kingdom Co-ordinate with himfelf. Agai% '
' another Parliament declares to the fame King, ' This
21 Henr. * Your Grace's Realm recognizes no Superior under
8vi.C. 21. ^ God, but only your Grace. The Firft Parliament
calFd by King y^a^^jes the Firft, defire that it may
be Ehafted,- -That they being bcunden thereto, both by the
•Laws of God and Man^ do Recognize and Acknowledge, that'
the Thirtieth of January ^ 1 70 7
17
Finch. Lib. -il. DeL
Ley.CH.uRex qtrlc^
Vicadus eft Summt
Regis ad hoc eft Con-
ftitutas lit Regnum^^
terreninn regat Lorn-
:* immediately upon the Diflilution and Deceafc of Eli:{dhcthl
f late Queen of England, the Imperial Crown ^i the Realm.
* of England did, by Inherent Birth-right, and Xawful, and
f: Undoubted, Succeifion, defcend, and come to YourmoftEx-
^ cellent Majefty, and that by the Goodnefs of Ahnighty God,
/ and Lawful Right of Defcent, under one Itripe-
* rial Crown, your Majefty is of the Kingdoms ^ ^ccob. ift.
^ oi England^ Scotland y France i and Ireland^
* the moft Potent ^nd Mighty King. Agreeably to which^
we are told by an Eminent Lawyer , ^ That the King is
^ the Head of the Common-wealth immediately under God,,
:^ and above All Perfon$, and in All Caufes ; and becaufe
' * he Reprefents the Perfbn of G O D, and bears His Image
* among Men, therefore the Law in like
* manner afcribes to him: a Shadow of
* thofe Excellencies which are in GOD 5
* Of which he reckons up feveral. Nor
< could he be immediately under GOD,
^ and above all other Perfons in his own
\ Dominiohs^ if the People, in whatfo-
'^^ ever Senfe underltood, had any Pow-
-^ er over him. If we look farther back,
even the Laws of Edvoard the Confejfof
tells us, * The King, becaufe he is God's
* Vicegerent, not the Peoples, was^Con-
* ftituted to ilm End, That he might Go-
* vern his Earthly Kingdom, and Reye-
* rence and Defend ^-tiis Churchl And
Bra^ofij an antient Atithor, tells us, * Thau
* the King ought to Exercife the Power
* of the Law, as he^ is the Vicegerent and
* Minifter of GOD upon Earth. Thtis
we fee that the Laws of the Nation,
- and our greateft Lawyers, had no Notion
. of the Original of Power being in the
People, but they all fuppofe it derived from
GOD alone.
- ^ But the Law tells us, l^ii^xThe High-CGurt of Parliayneut, lii
which all our Statutes are drawn up, and receive their Sandtion^
* confiits of' Three Efiates ; wliich Thre-c Eftates^ our Athcifiicd
■ Scribblers and Penny Politic tarn Iiii|>U(lently tell us, are the K^/v?
'^'cr ^een^ The Hc;^ of Lordsj^n^ The Hotife of Corfmo$i.u _ From
t Key:
A-
Exercerc deh.
poteftatem jurU
Dei vicar h:i 'o Mini-
fter. in terri^^ BrQA^
* j8 ^sermon Preached on
whence, if it were true, it would follow, that the Queen^ Lords
and Co)?im^ns^ ftand all upon one Level, and if any Oneof thefe
Three Eftarcs fhould offer to Encroach upon either of the Other,
the other Two might Ad in Confederacy, and ftrip the Firft
of all their Power, and divide it between themfelves ; and if the
Queen, Lords and Commons^ as tl>e Three Eftates of this Kingdorti,
are really Co-ordinate, or upon the Level with one another, the
Coni'cquence may be Reafonable enough.
Vide Grand Cafe, by But now, Unhappily for our Pettifogging
Stillingfieet^ hzjhps Politicians, here too our Statutes are'whol-
Ki^hts defended^ by ly Strangers to this matter ; where-evcr
Mr. Hunt. they mention the Three Eftates, they call
them the Lords Spiritual^ the Lords Tempv^
raly and the Commons^ and they diftinguifti thefe Three Eftates
from the Kingj as the Head and Ruler over them Ail, and fo
they do in all the Kingdoms in Chriftendom^ of whkh it
were eaiie to give Numerous Inftances, if a Single Sermon could
contain them.
I need look no farther at prefent than the Office for tht Fifth
of Novcmbcfr, which is a part of our Statute-Law, and the very
Tide of it is, ' A. Form of Prayer, with Thanksgiving, for
* the Happy Deliverance of Kjng James the Firfi, and the Three
* Ejl^tcs of this B^alniy froni the moft Traiterous and Bloody
* intended MafTacre by Gunpowder. Again, in the Colleiil for
' the Day in the Communion-Service, * We acknowledge GOD's
* Wifdom, Power and Goodnefs, in Preferving the Kj^g ^^^ ^^
* Three Eftates of this I^ealm from, the Deftrudion that Day in-
tended againft them. In both which places the Kjng and the Three
Eftates are plainly diiliuguifh'd One from another; and if our
Law had fupposM the Kjng One of the Three Eftates, it had, in
thcie raiTages^ fpokcn of them in fuch Terms as never Men in
their Wits had Ipoken io fuch a Cafe before : Nor could ever
Men ta?k fuch Nonfenfe as our Two Houfes do, when they call
themfelves, Her Majefvies moft Dutiful, and Obedient SubjeBs, if,
at the fame time they Fancy themfelves Co-ordinate with Her,
and to be the Ferfons from whom She receives all Her Autho-
rity ; But the, xA.d for the Obfervation of this Day, has put this
"flatter. out of Difpute Vv^ith all but Beautefeus and Traitors^
when it Declares and Enacfts, * That by thq Undoubted
* Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom, neither the Peers
^ of this Realm, nor the Coaimons, nor both together in
'Parliament, or oui of Parliament, nor the People Col-
. ledivcly
the Thirtieth of January, 170'. i ^
Icdively or Reprefentacively, or any other Perlons what-
foever, had, hath, or ought to hayc. Any Coercive power over the
Perfons of the Kings of this jKcalm. Now
lay but this Statute with that of Trca- 25 ^iw. 3.
foas in which we are told, ' That to Le- C. 2.
* vy War acainft our Sovereign Lord the
♦ King, in his Reahn, or to be Adherent to the Kings Enemies
' in his Realm, giving them Aid or Comfort in the Realm, or
' elfewherej' to imagine or go about to compafs his Death, or
' his Reftraint, or Imprifonment, is Treafon ; Which Sir £^iP<xri
Coks aflures us too, was High-Trerfon by Common Law before
Lav thefe Statutes together, and from them it will follow. That All
who took up Arms ^gzin&iCharks the Firft, our ate Martyr d Save-
raign, who Fought againft him in open Field, who Seizd him,
who Imprifon'd him, who Murder'd him, were Traitors by the
Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom ; of which both King and
People were fo very Senfible upon the Reftauration, that to quiet
all fears arifing from any Guilt of that Nature, the Two Houlcs
were very ready to draw up, and the King gracioufly carncft to
T>AktheA^ of Indemnity. , r r
Hence both our Church and State have fixt thefe fcvcre
Charaders upon the Murderers of the Royal Martyr and
the Aififtants to, and Abettors of that horrid Adion. 1 he
Title of the Service for this Day, and the Service it ieU,
which is part of our Statute-Law, call them, * Cruel and
'Unreafonible Men, Cruel and Bloody Men, Murderers, Vio-
« lent and Blood-thirfty Men, Barbarous Murderers, Bloody Ene-
'mies. Cruel Men, Sons of Belial, Violent and Ourragipufly
♦Wicked Men. The Statute calls th^, A Party of Wretcacd
♦Men, Defperately Wicked, and hardned in their Impicry,
' who plotted and contrived the Ruin and Deftrudion of this
* Excellent Monarchy, and with it, the true Proteftant Re.i-
* gion which had been long protcaed by it, and flovrilhed un-
« der it. And is not this the Charader ot admirable Prote-
♦ ftants and very loyal Subjeds? Again, fays the Statute, "Ihey
* were Men of pernicious and traiterous Defigns, who threw
♦ down all the Bulwarks and Fences of Law, and fubverted
♦the very Being and Conftitution of Parliaments, and were not
♦ fuch Men excellent Patriots, and- great Friends of Enn^l./h Li-
'berties and Properties ? Again, 'They were fucn asunder
'the Name and 'Authority of Parliamect, Profecuted and Finiai d
•their iong-intcndcd Treafon and Conrpiracy; their Higlv^ourr
2.Q A SERMON Preached oh
"■ of Juftice was a prodigious and unheard-of Tribunal. 5^ and they
*iDrought his Sacred Majefty to a Scaffold, and there Miirder'd
* him before the Gates of his own Palace. The fame Statme
adds, . ' By this Horrid Adion, the Proteftant Religion has ro-
'' ceiv'd the greateft Wound and Reproach, and the People o£
* England the moft infupportable Shame and Infamy that it was
* poliible for the Enemies of God and the King to bring upon
^ them. They were a few Mifcreants, fiU'd with Fanatick Rage,
^as far from being true Proteftants, as from bei^ng true Subjeds.
'^It V7as an impious Fac5t, an execrable Murder, and an unpa-
* rallel'd Treafon, a villanous and abominable Fadir, committed
^ by Cruel and Unreafonable Men. And for thofe who ncglcdt
io keep this Day as a Day of folemn Falling and FmmiUatiqn^
they are by the fame Authority Cenfiir'd as Infringers cT the Law^
* and Prophane Perfons, who wilfally (hut their JEyes horh againft'
^ the Judgments and the Mercies of Almighty G6L A Cenfure
always to be remembered.
Now all this, if it be Railing, as fome foft Heads tvill be very
apt to call it, it's the Railing of one of thefreeft, fulleft^ and hap-*,
picft Parliaments that ever this Nation was blefs'd with* They
were throughly convinced of the Nation^s Giiilr, of the great
Terror of God's Judgments, and the BlefTmgs of ch^c won-
derful Revolution, by which the Ancient Government of our
Church and vState were gracioufly reftor'd, and they were
defirous t:o perpetuate God's Mercies to themfelyes and us by
Solemn and Sincere Humiliation and Repent^iKr, pfitticular-
ly for that Enormous Sin committed on this Day. The
Sin was' founded upon that Principle, which I have iiithcrto
Argued againil, viz. That all Power is Oripnaiiy in the P&o-*
flc. And upon the wnole we find, ^That ail thcfe who now
* Maintain, and are ready to Acft upon that Principle, are Ene-^
Mniestothe Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom, and to .cu^
■* common Religion and Liberties ; that they are Enemies to
^ our EftabUiVd DoArines and Forms of Divine Publick Ser^
* vice.: "And to conclude, That they -are Open and Prouh'd
'Enemies to the RcveaPd Word of God, ^nd to God Him^
Melf. i,c\ As I aiTerned at firft, all fuch as Undcritand, and
riillTt th^t Principle, * That all Power is Original] v m the
' People, ^;'^, arid muft /'^Papifts in Mafquerade, or elfe down-
' ric^hr Rebels, Tr^irorSj Libertines and Atbeifts, »
Tha; ;
4 #« A # IUamA^ ^J. L. ..JL l^A^^MJIL^ — «-
That our Parliamenrs h^v^'e ^tal^^n them for no better, ap-
pears hy thofc oecyices appfli,nted by Statute fof phq Fifth
of Novcjnipery ^ zi}<^ 'Jox U^c. jjfyven^y Ninth of ^^ay; in both
which, tho' the firft: has a particular Refpe^d to Eapifts,
and the other to 'Facaticks, we are dircdcd to Pray, thac
the Prince Keigning, and Confequendy our prefent Gracious
Queen, * May have Her Hands/q %engthen- ^ ' y
* cd by God with Judgment and Jt^ice,*.tfa^t f^afi CalJeFl afic^.
* She may cut oft all Tuch porkers of Ini- fh^ Lititny,
* quity as turn Religion into ftebqllion, and ,: Lafi Cvlhif in
* Faith into Fadion, that they rpay never., Cpmmmim 5^r-
* again prevail againft us , nor Triumph in vicf., . p
* the Ruin of the Monarchy, or of God's ; ^ •
^ Church among us. Where we fee, That ihe Wifdom of
the Nation looke4 upon fuch. Papifts as cqvild wifh well to
the Powdcr^Treafony and fuch Proteltants as could think well
of the Horrid Murder of Charles tfee Martyr, of Glorious Me-
mory, as Perfons either of the fame Religion, or of none at all.
And fince fome Papifts have Sainted fome of the Powder Traitors^
and feme Proteftants have Sainted the Murckrcrs of our late
Sovereign ; fince few or no Papifts keep a folemn Thanks-
giving with us on the Fifth of Novcjnber ; and fome of them
rejoyc'd at the Barbarous Murder of that Pious Prince, as?
one of the greateft Enemies of Popery in the World ; and
fince few or none of our Separatifts keep a folemn Fail\
as by Law Commanded , on the Thirtieth of
January • and we know that fome of them have Dr. Ox^^rK
kept a folemn Faft on the Fifth of November^
and that fome of them, in fpite to the Supream Authority cf
this Nation, do keep an Impious Feaft on the Thircieth pf
January to this very Day 3 I can find no,
Reafon why fiich Papifts and fuch Separatifts Calvcs^Head.
Ihouid not be joyned together, as Perfons of Cluh-Mcn^
the fame, -both Politick and Religious Prin-
ciples : Or, as Sampfons foxes, ty'd by the Tails to one-
another, with Fire-brands between them , to Burn, Ruin/
and Deftroy the Peace of evcfry Nation they Live in, whcu
{hey have an Opportunity. ''
How
'.■ . ...^.. . . . _ ■ :, . .. -.
4P1
2X
^SERMON PreacheJott
-1
How Numerous and how Heavy God's Judgments have
been upon thefe Nations for that Execrable Murder this'
Day Cfommitted upon the Perfon of our J^ate Gracious So- *
vereign, we catinoc but See and Know, unlefs we are'j^
wholly Stupify'd and Deferted. We may fay, perhaps, ^^^Ih
too many do. That they were our Fathers, and not We,^^
who were Guilty of this blick Sip, and they have receiv'd
their Doom already; and' why.fhould we trouble our felves ^
to Faft and Humble our felves* for that Adkion, how Im- '
pious foever it were, vvhich we had no Hand iji ; But dp
not the fame Principles, ftill Juftify'd, infer the fame Guilt
ftill ? Has not God told us, * Thit He Vifits the Iniquities of
^ the Fathers upon the Children, even to the Third and'
* Fourth Generation of theni that Hate Him? What dp
thefe do lefs, who Maintain this Hellilh and Atheiftical Prin-
ciple ? Do not thofe who call themfelves Jews^ confefs, That
they fuifer ftill for the Sin of the Golden-Calf; that there's
fome of the Duft of that Calf in every Bitter Cup which
God gives them to Drink of to this Day ; and that they
ought ftill to Mourn for that Sin of their Fore-Fathers .>
Do not we, our felves, See and Know how th&j have fuf-
fer'd, for many Generations^ for the Murder of their MeJJiasy
and becaufe they Hate him ftill ? And are not thofe ready
to Murder the next Prince, who may fall into their Hands,
who can Juftify, or go about to Extenuate the Murder of
One before , who ftill Maintain the fame Principle upon
which he was Murder'd, and who Hate all Monarchs, and
all Religion, and that God who Founded them?
For my part, I believe, that That Blefled Martyr's Blood
cries aloud for Vengeance ftill. I'm fu re, that as our Church
cxprefles it, * Nothing but the precious Blood of the Son of
* GOD can expiate the Shedding of the Innocent Blood of
, ^ that Pious Prince. I'm fure, that they who do not Faft
for, or Repent ferioufly of that horrid Sin, the Guilt of
v;hich lies ftill fo heavy upon this Miferable Nation, can
never Receive any Benefit by that precious Expiatory Blood
of rhe Son of GOD. Tm fure, ftliat thofe who Juftify the
Sin, or the Principle, upon which it was Committed, cannot
be Penitenrs : And Vm fare, that till they are Penitertfs,
GOD s Judgniencs will Perpetually Profeciue them and their
Foikrity.
As
^^^ the Thirtieth of ]^mi^r)[^ 170 y. zj
As for Us, who are here met together in the Fear 6f
GOD, and in Obedience to the Law, to Humble our Souls
. before Almighty God for the crying Sin of this Day, tho'
1 know there are feveral among Us, who conrte with very
PifFerent Intentions: As for Us, That We^ may avqrt God's
-Terrible Judgments from our own Heads, lee us earneftly
* Befeech that God, to whom Vengeance belongeth, that He
* would be Favourable and Gracious unto our Siono Be
* Merciful, O Lord, be Merciful unto Thy People, whom
. * Thou haft Redeem'd, and lay not this Innocent Blood to
* our Charge. O ihut not ifp our Souls with Sinners ; nor
* our Lives with the Blood-rhirfty. Deliver us from Blood-
* Guiltinefs, O Lord, Thou who art the God of our Sal-
* vation. For Thou haft no Pleafure in Wickednefs : Thou
* wilt Deftroy all chem who fpeak Lies: Thou abhorreft
* the Blood-thirlly, and Deceitful Man. But, O pardon u3,
* Thy Smful, Thy Unworthy Servants, who now Heartily
* Implore Thy Merey. Deliver this whole Nation from the
* Sin of Blood-Guiltinefs, That of this Day in particular;
* and turn from us, and from our Pofterity, all thofe Judg-
* ments, which, for thi«, and all other Sins, we have moft
/Righteoufly Deferv'd, for the fake of Jefus Chnfi, Thy
* Son, and our only Mediator and Advocate. Arnen^
F t N I S.
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